As the second anniversary of the Affordable Care Act approaches, new data shows that 15,388 Medicare beneficiaries in Montana saved a total of $9,710,741 on prescription drugs because of the new health care law, according to Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That's an average of $631 per individual.

Savings for seniors include a one-time $250 rebate check to users who hit the "donut hole" coverage gap in 2010 and a 50 percent discount on covered brand-name drugs in the donut hole in 2011.

Without the health care law, more than 5.1 million seniors nationwide would have faced $3.2 billion in higher drug costs, Sebelius said. That includes $9,710,741 for Medicare beneficiaries in Montana, according to Sebelius.

"As we move forward, seniors will save even more as the new law completely eliminates the Medicare donut hole, delivering more relief to Americans," she said in a prepared statement.

In 2012, Medicare beneficiaries will receive a 50 percent discount from manufacturers on covered brand name drugs and a 14 percent savings on generic drugs in the donut hole. The Affordable Care Act expands these discounts over time until the donut hole is closed in 2020.

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